Vegetable-cutter



(No Modem' H. X. 'BUCHE/[ANN VEGBTABLE GUTTER.

No. 579,816. Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

NrTnD 'raras Pirro..

VEG ETABLE-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,816, dated March30, 1897.

Application led November 2, 1896. Serial No. 610,872. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that LHENRY X. BUCHMANN, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVegetable-Gutters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to vegetable-cutters; and it consists in the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown,described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of myim proved vegetable-cutter, partsbeing broken away to more clearly illustrate the same. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4is a bottom plan View, parts being broken away to economize space. Fig.5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6is an enlarged detail plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and lookingin the direction indicated bythe arrow 6. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectionalview taken approximately on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, parts being brokenaway to economize space.

Inthe construction of my improved vegetable-cutter I employ the base 10,in which the lower ends of the posts 12 and 13 are iiXed. The base 10 isa flat plate, preferably of wood and designed to rest upon the table orother suitable support, and may be of any desired outlines. The posts 12and 13 are preferably turned out of wood and have the enlarged portions14, the lower ends of'which rest directly upon the upper face of thebase 10. The portions 15 of the posts are turned down smaller than theportions 14 and concentric to said portions and iit closely within thevertical openings bored through the base 10, as required to support saidposts in a vertical position relative to said base. The portions 16 ofthe posts are turned down slightly smaller than the portions 14 andconcentric to said portions, thus forming the shoulders 17, between theportions 14 and the portions The portions 18 of the posts are turneddown smaller than the portions 16 and concentric to said portions. Thecorresponding parts of the posts 12 and 13 are in horizontal alinementwith each other and transversely of the base 10 and near one endthereof.

The cross -bar 19 has vertical apertures bored in'its ends in which theportions 18 of the posts are inserted, thus connecting the upper ends ofthe posts.

The disks 2O are somewhat larger in dialneter than the portions 18 ofthe posts, and said disks are placed upon the upper ends of saidportions 18 with their peripheries concentric to the posts, and saiddisks are held removably'in position by means of the screws 21.

The shaft 22 is rotatably and slidingly mounted in a bearing formedvertically through the center of the cross-bar 19. The shaft 22 ispreferably turned out of wood and has a head 23 on its lower end andformed integral therewith, which head is turned concentric with theshaft. The sliding crossbar 24 has an opening in its center throughwhich the shaft 22 passes, and said cross-bar rests upon the upper endof the head 23. A recess 25 is formed around the shaft 22 and inhorizontal alinement with the upper surface of the cross-bar 24.

Metallic plates 26 and 27 are embedded in the upper face of thecross-bar 24 upon opposite sides of the shaft 22, and the inner ends ofsaid plates engage in the recess 25, as shown in Fig. 7, and the platesare held removably in position by means of the screws 2S. When theplates 26 and 27 are in position as described, they prevent the shaft 22from sliding through the bearing in the sliding cross-bar 24.

Segmental recesses 29 are formed vertically in the ends of the cross-bar24, and said crossbar fits between the posts 12 and 13, with said postsengaging in said recesses 29, thus forming a vertical sliding connectionbetween the sliding cross-bar 24 and the posts 12 and 13. When thecross-bar slides downwardly to its lowermost position, its ends restupon the shoulders 17 on the posts 12 and 13 and thus limit the downwardmotion of the shaft 22. The upper end of the shaft 22 is squared andinserted in a corresponding aperture formed in the head 30, which headis formed upon the end of the crank 31.

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The disk 32 is placed upon the upper end of the shaft 22 and above thehead 30 and is held removably in position by means of the screw 33,which screw is inserted through said disk and screw-seated in thesquared end of said shaft, thus holding the crank-handle 3l in positionupon said shaft.

A disk 34 is attached to the lower end of the head 23 by means of thescrews 35, which screws are inserted upwardly through said disk and intosaid head. The disk 34is substantially of the same diameter as the head23, and in its center is formed a circular opening 36, which coincideswith a similar opening 37, formed in the lower end of thehead 23.

Knives 33 project downwardly from the disk 34 and are arranged radiallyrelative to the opening 36.

A plate 39 (shown in Fig. 4) is embedded in the bottom surface of thebase l0. The lower ends of the portions l5 of the posts l2 and 13 restupon the upper face of the ends of the plate 39, and screws 46 areinserted through said plate and seated in said posts, thus holding saidposts from being withdrawn from the base l0. The plate 39 is attached tothe base l and held in position by means of the screws 4l, insertedthrough said plate and seated in said base. A pointed pin 42 is ixed inthe plate 39 and projects upwardly through the base lO and in positionto pass into the openings 36 and 37 when the head 23 descends to a pointnear the base l0. The head of the pin 42 is riveted or welded into theplate 39, as required to form a rigid connection with said plate.

The body of the plate 39 is rectangular in cross-section and its rearedge 43 is substantially straight and extends nearly across the bottomof the base l0. The front edge 44 runs parallel with the inner edge 43to points near the aperture 45. The aperture 45 is formed verticallythrough the plate 39 and extends from near the pin 42 toward and nearlyto one of the ends of the plate. The portion of the plate through whichthe aperture 45 is formed is considerably wider than the remainder ofthe plate. rihe front side of the aperture 45 is bounded bythe portion46, which extends in a line parallel with the lines 43 and 44, and theends of said portion 46 are connected to the body of the plate by theportions 47 and 43, which are joined to and formed integral with theends of the portion 46 and at right angles to said portion.

Semicircular lugs 49 and 50 extend forwardly from the portion 46, andthe recesses l and 52 are formed from the lower faces of said lugs andthe corresponding portions of the portion 46.

The plate is embedded inthe upper surface of the base and adjustablyconnected to said base. An opening 54 is formed vertically through thebase l0, corresponding to the opening through the plate 39. A cuttingedge 55 is formed upon the plate 53, and said plate is mounted with oneend of the cutting edge 55 adjacent to the pin 42, and said edge 55extending from said pin above the opening 54 and in a line parallel withthe edge 43. Vertical cutting edges 56 are formed upon the plate belowthe edge 55 and intersectin g said edge. Centrally-located apertures areformed vertically through the lugs 49 and 50, and openings 57 areformcdvertically through the base lO above said lugs.

Two screw-eyes 53 are screw-seated in the plate 53 from its lower side,and said screweyes extend downwardly, one into cach ol' the openings 57,as shown in Fig. 5. Screw-eyes 59 have their eyes hooked into the eyesof the screw-eyes 58, and the screw-threaded ends of said screw-eyes 59extend downwardly through the openings in the lugs 49 and 50, and thenuts 60 are placed upon said screwthrcaded ends and hold said screw-eyesin position, thus forming a hinged connection between the plate 53 andthe plate 39. The plate 53 normally rests upon the base l0. Set-screws61 are inserted through the screwthreaded apertures located directly infront of the nuts 60, and said set-screws project upwardly through theopenings 62, formed in the base 10 a short distance in front of theopenings 57, and the points of said set-screws engage the under side ofthe plate 53.

Retractile coil-springs 63 have their upper ends attached to the plate53, and said springs extend downwardly through the openings 62 aroundthe set-screws 6l, and the lower ends of said springs are attached tothe plate 39. W'hen the set-screws 6l are operated in the properdirection, the edge of the plate 53 will be elevated by the points ofthe set-screws pressing upwardly under said plate, and when they areoperated in the opposite direction said edge will be lowered by thetension of the coil-springs 63. The upper ends of the springs 63 may bepassed through the openings in the plate and riveted in position, andthe lower ends of said springs may be passed through the plate 39 anddrawn down to give the proper tension to the springs and then riveted inposition, or said ends may be attached in any convenient manner.

In the practical operation of my improved vegetable-cutter a potato,turnip, or other suitable vegetable 64 is placed under the head 23 andupon the pointed pin 42. Then the crank -handle 3l is operated to pressthe knives into the upper side oi said vegetable and to press the pin 42into the lower side of said vegetable. `Then as the crank-handle 3l isoperated in the proper direction to bring the vegetable against the edge55 the vegetable is cut into the spiral slice, which slice passesdownwardly below the edge 55 and through the opening 54. The sliceformed by the edge 55 is split into strips by means of the verticaledges 56. Vhen the vegetable has been nearly used up, the ends of thesliding cross-bar 24 will strike the shoulder 17 and keep the knives 33from striking the edge 55. By adjusting the set-screws 6l the thick- IOOIOS

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ness of the slices may be regulated to suit the operator.

I claim- 1'. In a vegetable-cutter, a suitable base, posts projectingupwardly from said base, a cross-bar connecting the upper ends of saidposts, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidingly mounted in acentrally-located bearing in said cross-bar, a head upon the lower endof said shaft,knives upon the lower face of said head, a slidingcross-bar carried by said shaft and operating between said posts, platesattached to said sliding bar and operating in an annular recess in saidshaft to prevent said shaft from sliding through said sliding cross-bar,a center point projecting upwardly from said base, a plate attached tothe lower face of said base, a plate, having cutting edges, upon theupper side of said base and in vertical alinement with thefirst-mentioned plate, a hinge connection between said plates andthrough said base, a set-screw screw-seated in the first-mentioned plateand passing through with the irst-inentione'd plate, a hinge connectionbetween said plates and through said base, a set-screw screw-seated inthe iirstmentioned plate and passing through said base and engaging theunder surface of the last-mentioned plate, and a retractile coilspringconnecting said plates, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY X. BUCHMANN.

